For many, happiness can seem like an elusive mirage: apparently filling our lives with joy and contentment in one moment, only to slip through our fingers the next. As a result, many find themselves in the constant pursuit of happiness.

In this interactive, enlightening, and lighthearted talk, De Anza College & John F. Kennedy University professor Javy W. Galindo explains how happiness need not be pursued, but chosen. Based on his graduate course on the psychology of happiness, professor Galindo shares seven insights from his new book “Authentic Happiness in Seven Emails” on how to choose happiness and why it is often a difficult choice to make.

A Few Key Concepts: The happiness equation; positive psychology; flow experiences and satisfaction; the hedonic treadmill; the power of unconscious programming; pleasure vs. joy; dealing with negative thinking (the negativity bias); authenticity and meaningful living.